Asks father of Avijit; free-thinkers pay tribute to the writer-blogger; his body given to Dhaka Medical College
Dr Ajoy Roy stood firm and resolute by the coffin of his son Avijit Roy, the slain writer and software engineer, before his body was handed over to the Dhaka Medical College authorities as a donation in the afternoon yesterday.
His son was put to death for following a path he himself has treaded and followed. Yet, no drop of tear was there to cloud his vision; nor was there any hint of defeatism in his stance. The only sound of sobs and wails came from relatives and friends who were there with him.
Earlier in the morning, while addressing a programme on the DU campus, Dr Roy questioned if Islamist militants were stronger than law enforcers.
“I urge the government, the prime minister, to uproot the militant organisations and the people behind the killing of Avijit and other free thinkers,” he said at the programme organised by Sammilito Sangskritik Jote at the foot of Aparajeyo Bangla on the DU campus.
Dr Roy, retired professor of physics at Dhaka University, also urged the government to immediately ban militant organisations including Jamaat-e-Islami and arrest and try all leaders of the militant organisations.
He suggested the government receive assistance from the FBI that offered cooperation into the murder case.
Hundreds of people from different organisations paid last tribute to the 42-year-old writer who was killed on February by Islamist militants for he was vocal against their roles during the Liberation War in 1971 and demanded their trial on charges of war crimes.
Frustrated over the state’s failure in protecting free thinkers like Avijit, speakers at the programme questioned the role of law enforcers. They, however, expressed their resolution to strengthen their movement for building a secular and democratic Bangladesh.
Jurist Dr Kamal Hossain said the murders of writer Humayun Azad, and bloggers Rajib Haider and Avijit Roy were attacks on the country’s independence.
“Why should people like Avijit be killed in an independent Bangladesh? Didn’t lakhs of people sacrifice their lives for this?” he said.
He urged a fair probe into the killing and appreciated the FBI’s offer of help in the investigation.
Freedom fighter and cultural activist Nasiruddin Yusuf Bachchu demanded judicial probe into these killings.
The war criminals and their followers have found a place in politics and administration, and they should be removed from all these places to uproot communal forces, Bachchu said, expressing determination to continue their fight against religious fanaticism.
All remained silent for a minute in tribute to Avijit. From there, Avijit’s body was taken to Dr Ajoy Roy’s residence at Ramna before handing it over to the Dhaka Medical College Principal Prof Dr Ismail Khan.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people and students from different organisations marched to the spot where Avijit was attacked and laid flowers. Many chanted slogans demanding exemplary punishment of his killers and vowed to continue the fight against fanaticism and militancy.
Rallies were also held in different parts of the city and elsewhere demanding immediate arrest and punishment of his killers.
The Gonojagoron Mancha, a platform for progressive students and organisations demanding the war crimes trial, wrote in a poster erected near the Shahbag intersection: “Bangladesh will fail if free thinkers like Avijit fail.”
Avijit, founder of the website Muktomona (free thinker) is well known for his booksBiswaser Virus (Virus of Faith) and Sunyo theke Mahabiswa (From Vacuum to the Universe).
Source: The Daily Star
